In medicine, wasting, also known as wasting syndrome, refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to "waste" away. Wasting is sometimes referred to as "acute malnutrition" because it is believed that episodes of wasting have a short duration, in contrast to stunted growth, which is regarded as chronic malnutrition. An estimated 45 million children under 5 years of age (or 6.7%) were wasted in 2021.
Causes
Wasting can be caused by an extremely low energy intake (e.g., caused by
famine), nutrient losses due to
infection, or a combination of low intake and high loss. Infections and conditions associated with wasting include
tuberculosis, chronic
diarrhea,
AIDS, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome. The mechanism may involve
cachectin – also called tumor necrosis factor, a
macrophage-secreted
cytokine. Caretakers and health providers can sometimes contribute to wasting if the patient is placed on an improper diet. Voluntary weight loss and
are excluded as causes of wasting.
Diagnosis
Classification
-
Children: Weight-for-height (WFH). In infants under 24 months, recumbent (supine) length is used. WFH as % of median reference value is calculated this way:
Cutoff points may vary, but <80% (close to −2 Z-score) is often used.
-
Adults:
-
Body Mass Index (BMI) is the quotient between weight and height squared (kg/m2). An individual with a BMI < 18.5 is regarded as a case of wasting.
-
Percent of body weight lost (At Tufts, an unintentional loss of 6% or more in 6 months is regarded as wasting)
Treatment
Antiretrovirals and anabolic steroids have been used to treat HIV wasting syndrome.
[Michael Powers, "Performance-Enhancing Drugs" in Joel Houglum, in Gary L. Harrelson, Deidre Leaver-Dunn, "Principles of Pharmacology for Athletic Trainers", SLACK Incorporated, 2005, , p. 330] Additionally, an increase in protein-rich foods such as
peanut butter and
legumes can assist in controlling the loss of muscle mass.
See also
Sources
External links
